NNPP lawmaker dumps Kwankwaso’s faction

Member of the House of Representatives for Rano/Kibiya/Bunkure Federal Constituency, Kabiru Rurum, has publicly distanced himself from Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s faction of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), instead supporting the group led by the party’s founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam.

A former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly Rurum, stated on Sunday that he recognizes the NNPP under Dr. Aniebonam—represented by a fruit logo—as the legitimate faction, rejecting the legitimacy of Kwankwaso’s faction, which is symbolized by a book logo.

He also called on Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to act autonomously and not to follow directives from Kwankwaso.

“My loyalty remains with Governor Yusuf,” Rurum affirmed, assuring the people of Kano and his constituents that the governor is capable of making sound decisions for the state.

When questioned about the possibility of a defection, Rurum maintained that he is a committed member of the NNPP under Aniebonam’s leadership and criticized Kwankwaso for allegedly usurping the party for personal interests.

“Dr. Boniface provided Kwankwaso with a platform, and it is wrong to take the party from him and treat him poorly,” he remarked

Following this announcement, another member representing Dala Federal Constituency also left the Kwankwasiyya movement, encouraging his supporters to discard the red cap, which symbolizes Kwankwasiyya’s ideology.

This development follows a recent ruling by the Uzuakoli Division of the High Court in Abia State, presided over by Justice C.U. Okoroafor.

On November 1, 2024, the court ordered that the NNPP be placed under the control of its Board of Trustees, chaired by Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the party’s founder. This ruling came in response to a suit filed by three NNPP members in Abia, addressing the ongoing leadership crisis within the party.